Darjeeling 'Toy Train' chugs into top 50 global destinations in 2027

Kolkata: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), the 'toy train' which has taken many a footloose traveller across the challenging East Himalayan terrain, has found a place among the 50 destinations in Lonely Planet's prestigious 'Best in Travel 2027 list'. Having helped many visitors traverse the hills, tea gardens and settlements of the Darjeeling region, it became part of the Mountain Railways of India UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1999.

Started in 1881, DHR was a much-admired service in colonial India and then renowned for its pioneering engineering solutions, historic stations and steam locomotives.

"Lonely Planet has described Darjeeling as the "Best for a Toy Train journey", placing the historic DHR and its unique mountain railway experience in the global travel spotlight," Northeast Frontier Railway, under which DHR falls, has stated. Lonely Planet is a travel guidebook brand and digital travel publisher founded in 1973 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler.


"...Darjeeling Toy Train has received international recognition from Lonely Planet. DHR is the only entry from India, apart from one in Gujarat" Bengal tourism minister Shankar Ghosh said.

West Bengal government is also trying to put North Bengal's Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik in the eastern Himalayas on the national and global tourism map by giving major infrastructural and investment push to these regions. Darjeeling will be developed as part of the Centre's 'One State, One Global Destination' initiative.